PAUL now returned to Damascus and preached
boldly in the name of Jesus. The Jews could not withstand the wisdom of his arguments, and
they therefore counseled together to silence his voice by force--the only argument left to
a sinking cause. They decided to assassinate him. The apostle was made acquainted with
their purpose. The gates of the city were vigilantly guarded, day and night, to cut off
his escape. The anxiety of the disciples drew them to God in prayer; there was little
sleeping among them, as they were busy in devising ways and means for the escape of the
chosen apostle. Finally they conceived a plan by which he was let down from a window and
lowered over the wall in a basket at night. In this humiliating manner Paul made his
escape from Damascus.

He now proceeded to
Jerusalem, wishing to become acquainted with the apostles there, and especially with
Peter. He was very anxious to meet the Galilean fishermen who had lived, and prayed, and
conversed with Christ upon earth. It was with a yearning heart that he desired to meet the
chief of apostles. As Paul entered Jerusalem, he regarded with changed views the city and
the temple. He now knew that the retributive judgment of God was hanging over them.

The grief and anger of the
Jews because of the conversion

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of Paul knew no bounds. But he was firm as a rock, and
flattered himself that when he related his wonderful experience to his friends, they would
change their faith as he had done, and believe on Jesus. He had been strictly
conscientious in his opposition to Christ and His followers, and when he was arrested and
convicted of his sin, he immediately forsook his evil ways and professed the faith of
Jesus. He now fully believed that when his friends and former associates heard the
circumstances of his marvelous conversion, and saw how changed he was from the proud
Pharisee who persecuted and delivered unto death those who believed in Jesus as the Son of
God, they would also become convicted of their error and join the ranks of the believers.

He attempted to join himself
to his brethren, the disciples; but great was his grief and disappointment when he found
that they would not receive him as one of their number. They remembered his former
persecutions, and suspected him of acting a part to deceive and destroy them. True, they
had heard of his wonderful conversion, but as he had immediately retired into Arabia, and
they had heard nothing definite of him further, they had not credited the rumor of his
great change.

Meeting
With Peter and James

Barnabas, who had liberally
contributed his money to sustain the cause of Christ and to relieve the necessities of the
poor, had been acquainted with Paul when he opposed the believers. He now came forward and
renewed that acquaintance, heard the testimony of Paul in regard to his miraculous
conversion and his experience from that time. He fully believed and received Paul, took
him by the hand and led him into

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the presence of the apostles. He related his experience
which he had just heard--that Jesus had personally appeared to Paul while on his way to
Damascus; that He had talked with him; that Paul had recovered his sight in answer to the
prayers of Ananias, and had afterward maintained that Jesus was the Son of God in the
synagogues of that city.

The apostles no longer
hesitated; they could not withstand God. Peter and James, who at that time were the only
apostles in Jerusalem, gave the right hand of fellowship to the once fierce persecutor of
their faith; and he was now as much beloved and respected as he had formerly been feared
and avoided. Here the two grand characters of the new faith met--Peter, one of the chosen
companions of Christ while He was upon earth, and Paul, the Pharisee, who, since the
ascension of Jesus, had met Him face to face and had talked with Him, and had also seen
Him in vision, and the nature of His work in heaven.

This first interview was of
great consequence to both these apostles, but it was of short duration, for Paul was eager
to get about his Master's business. Soon the voice which had so earnestly disputed with
Stephen was heard in the same synagogue fearlessly proclaiming that Jesus was the Son of
God--advocating the same cause that Stephen had died to vindicate. He related his own
wonderful experience, and with a heart filled with yearning for his brethren and former
associates, presented the evidences from prophecy, as Stephen had done, that Jesus, who
had been crucified, was the Son of God.

But Paul had miscalculated
the spirit of his Jewish brethren. The same fury that had burst forth upon Stephen was
visited upon himself. He saw that he must separate from his brethren, and sorrow filled
his heart.

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He would willingly have yielded up his life if by that means they might have
been brought to a knowledge of the truth. The Jews began to lay plans to take his life,
and the disciples urged him to leave Jerusalem; but he lingered, unwilling to leave the
place, and anxious to labor a little longer for his Jewish brethren. He had taken so
active a part in the martyrdom of Stephen that he was deeply anxious to wipe out the stain
by boldly vindicating the truth which had cost Stephen his life. It looked to him like
cowardice to flee from Jerusalem.

Flight
From Jerusalem

While Paul, braving all the
consequences of such a step, was praying earnestly to God in the temple, the Saviour
appeared to him in vision, saying, "Make haste, and get thee quickly out of
Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning Me." Paul even then
hesitated to leave Jerusalem without convincing the obstinate Jews of the truth of his
faith; he thought that, even if his life should be sacrificed for the truth, it would not
more than settle the fearful account which he held against himself for the death of
Stephen. He answered, "Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue
them that believed on Thee: and when the blood of Thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was
standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew
him." But the reply was more decided than before: "Depart: for I will send thee
far hence unto the Gentiles."

When the brethren learned of
the vision of Paul, and the care which God had over him, their anxiety on his behalf was
increased; for they realized that he was indeed a chosen vessel of the Lord, to bear the
truth to the Gentiles. They hastened his secret escape

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from Jerusalem, for fear of his
assassination by the Jews. The departure of Paul suspended for a time the violent
opposition of the Jews, and the church had a period of rest, in which many were added to
the number of believers.